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One of the more respected and prolific filmmakers in modern cinema, director-producer Ridley Scott amassed a portfolio containing some of the most critically and commercially successful movies of all time. Emerging from the world of television commercial production, Scott was nearly 40 years old by the time he helmed his first feature "The Duellists" (1977). Its lackluster reception left audiences ill-prepared for the massive impact that came next with the classic science-fiction/horror film "Alien" (1979). Although a commercial disaster at the time, "Blade Runner" (1982) would later be regarded as one of the most influential sci-fi movies ever made, while Scott's on-set behavior during production earned him a lasting reputation as an exceptionally stubborn and difficult director. The years that followed were marked by the ebb and flow of disappointment and triumph, as illustrated by efforts like "Legend" (1985), "Thelma & Louise" (1991), "White Squall" (1996) and "Gladiator" (2000). Remarkably, Scott moved into the next millennium with an even steadier output of work that included such highlights as "Black Hawk Down" (2001), "Kingdom of Heaven" (2005), "American Gangster" (2007), the "Alien" prequel-of-sorts "Prometheus" (2012) and the Academy Award-nominated science fiction comedy-thriller "The Martian" (2015). Having settled into a more efficient and actor-friendly style of filmmaking during the second half of his career, Scott enjoyed the luxury of tackling themes of personal interest on film projects endowed with budgets less-proven directors could only dream of.Born on Nov. 30, 1937 in South Shields, Northumberland, England, Scott showed aptitude for art and drawing early on, becoming obsessed with it by the time he was 11 or 12 years of age. His mother, Jean, who loved movies, exposed her son to the joys of cinema. Since the family moved around often, thanks to his father's service in the military, Scott attended some 10 odd schools by the time he was ready for university. When he reached 19 years old, however, Scott wanted to follow his father's footsteps and enter the military. But his dad, who served as a brigadier for the British Army during World War II, convinced Scott to go to art school instead. Scott attended West Hartlepool College of Art to study graphic design, then did likewise at the Royal College of Art. After leaving school, he worked at the British Broadcasting Company as a set designer. But what Scott really wanted to do was direct, so he cajoled the station to allow him to attend a director's course, opening the door for him to fulfill his true ambitions.Scott was given the opportunity to direct a few episodes of television, including the long-running crime drama "Z Cars" (BBC, 1962-1978), but blew an interview for a job with BBC2 when he admitted to knowing nothing about Shakespeare. Then again, Scott was frustrated with earning a measly £75 per week anyway, so he left the BBC altogether and enter the advertising world, which he later dubbed his "film school." Scott quickly made a name for himself at a time when most commercial directors looked down on making advertisements. But Scott took it seriously, churning out hundreds of spots that were visually stunning and later imitated by other commercial directors; his ads for Hovis bread were long remembered in the U.K. for being some of the best ever made. In 1967, Scott formed his own company, Ridley Scott Associates, which remained a major force in the advertising world well after he started directing features, which he finally did when he was 39 years old. By that time, he was quite well off financially. The pull to make movies, however - something Scott had felt since he was eight years old - proved too hard to resist any longer.In the mid-1970s, Scott began working with producer David Puttnam on several story ideas, in order to develop something for him to direct as his first feature. They eventually came up with "The Duellists" (1977), a glossy hi